Featured Government

Our Focus Is On IT Capacity Building In Kebbi State – Abdul Magoro

In an exclusive interview with Abdul Magoro, the Commissioner for Information Technology Kebbi State, he expresses his desire to build capacity in the information technology (IT) and also drive eGovernance across MDAs in the state. Abdul expresses his intention to build an army of IT startups by 2023. Segun Oruame, Anthony Nwosu and Yinka Fagbenle captured this.

Can we have a brief insight to your education and career background?

I have a degree in Business Administration, in London, United Kingdom (UK) back in 1998, then I have my master’s degree in information technology management in the UK also. I have worked with City Bank London and a couple of other places in UK before I came back to Nigeria to contribute to my quota in the development of the country. I did my national youth service (NYSC) at a firm called Ocean and Oil which was taken over by Oando. Then I moved to a private sector, a logistic firm also, I worked at the board in this capacity. I was there for about five years before been appointed as the commissioner for ICT by Governor of Kebbi State, His Excellency Atiku Abudu.

With this impressive resume, we can say that you have what it takes to pilot the ICT in Kebbi, what would be your thrust as a commissioner?

The most important thing is to reorganize the public/government sector. As you know, technology is a driver and we have to deploy ICT in the sector to ensure efficiency and productivity. These are the intention of the Governor of the state. We want Kebbi State to be a state that is being run efficiently, using IT as a platform. My role as a commissioner is to coordinate all the ICT activities in the state. My ministry is to ensure that there is coordination and synergy in this area. We are looking are critical areas such as revenue generation, capacity building and e government. We are just a new ministry less than a month old, but we are making a steady progress by coming up with a draft, policy document or a blueprint that would guide us in this area. We are also here to engage the stakeholders within the IT ecosystem to see how we can all work together and add value in Kebbi State.

With these strategies in place, the challenge is acceptability and cultural change, in the area of e Governance, public sector finds it a bit hard making this transition. How do you go about this?

Yes, you are right. Change has always been frowned upon, but it would be a work in progress and an opportunity for me. This is something that has been initiated by His Excellency, the governor of Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Abudu. We have his support and for him to create a ministry that is focused on ICT in the state, it means that the governor understands the importance of information technology and how it impacts on productivity and development of the state. He understands this, otherwise he would have just an adviser on ICT but he decided to create a ministry solely for ICT. With my access to the executive council, this would also give me an upper hand in creating a policy and having it presented to the governor directly.

How would you ensure that ministries and MDAs comply to this digitization processes that you have in mind?

Well, I would get them to buy into the idea by having a stakeholders meeting. With this process in place, they would be involved and everyone would have an idea or  clear path on where we are going and what we are meant to achieve.

Capacity building is one thing that is a challenge in the IT space, especially the North, how do you bridge this in a state that is trying to come to term with IT skills?

We have to look at passion and literacy, we have a lot of youths in the state that have these qualities, what they basically need is support. Ours is to train and retrain them on  the best ways they can use IT to better their lives. We are looking at hub, we would build hubs, those that want to be techprenuers, we would encourage them and support them, we would also take others into public sectors. We are looking at ecosystem that would be managed by youths of Kebbi. The whole essence is to empower these youths.

You said empowerment, most ICT startups have challenge in this area, especially with access to credit. How do you as bridge this gap and change the narrative?

Access to credit and market is what we are known in Kebbi state, today, we are known as one of the foremost rice production states, we are looking at agrotech and how they can use IT to drive higher productivity in agriculture. We have made tremendous strides in support of farmers in improving value chain in agriculture. With this experience, we would replicate this in the IT space.

Are you looking at private sector partnership here?

We are open to private sector partnership and international agencies. The areas we would be focusing for now is revenue generation. This is one area that we would love to engage private sector so that their expertise would be made available to us. We are very open to private sector engagement.

Kebbi State is one of the very few states that have commissioner for ICT in Nigeria. Why set up an IT ministry?

Setting up an IT ministry is due to the obvious reason that IT is a driver of any economy and also, we intend to play in the IT ecosystem not as consumers but also developers. We need to be futuristic in Kebbi and develop capacities that would play a major role in the IT driven economy.  We also want to make adequate use of technology to drive productivity from agriculture to startup ecosystem. We also want to change the narrative on how government agencies do things.

Back to capacity building, are you going to work with select education institutions in the state?

We are looking at that also. My ministry in conjunction with ministry of basic education and higher education would sit down and look at the present curriculum which we know its not up to date, we would look at this and know areas of interventions. We would also assist in equipment deployment and resource person that would drive the IT revolution in these schools. 

What are the three core objectives that you would be looking at achieving before 2023?

The first would be automation of government processes in the state, the second is capacity building of over 150,000 youths before the 2023 and the last one is to target the girl child in the appreciation of IT. We intend to create startups before 2023 and deepen the ICT capacity building in the state.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

You may also like

Business Economy

Self-sustainability solutions and smart technology will help South Africa overcome its water crisis

post-image

 

 

Technology company, Versofy, best known for its solar solutions and services, says that preparing for South Africa’s water crisis should become a significant priority. The company, which is fast becoming a necessity-driven entrepreneurial brand, believes that further use of smart technology will also remain critical when addressing the pressing issues of water scarcity in South Africa.

 

Ross Mains-Sheard, Co-Founder and CEO of Versofy, says that South Africa’s water crisis is fast approaching scarcity status: “We believe that by promoting self-sufficiency and sustainability through our own smart technology solutions, we will help to address the increasing concerns regarding an imminent water shortage.”

 

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) estimates that 2.2 billion people across the globe don’t have access to clean drinking water. This is of concern when considering that water is a basic need for health and hygiene.   According to DBSA, South Africa’s physical water scarcity will become…

Read More
Business Culture Economy Entertainment Investments

Nigerians Rally Against DSTV’s High Subscription Rates, Embrace SLTV as Affordable Alternative – Anthony Emeka Nwosu

post-image

 

Amid mounting dissatisfaction with DSTV’s steep subscription fees, Nigerians are turning to SLTV in droves, marking a significant shift in the country’s television landscape.

The online outcry against DSTV gained traction when Mike Igozino voiced his frustration, announcing his switch to SLTV and condemning DSTV’s exploitation of hard-earned income. His sentiments resonated widely, sparking a wave of support for SLTV as a more economical option for premium entertainment.

“I can watch all Premier League, Champions League, Italian and Spanish leagues with just #5K monthly?! And DSTV collects 23,800 from me monthly… Nigerians, shine your eyes, DSTV came to steal from us,” declared Igozino, encapsulating the sentiment of many disillusioned consumers.

Jennifer Chioma Owolabi echoed the sentiment, expressing her eagerness to explore SLTV as a viable alternative to DSTV. She sought insights into SLTV’s offerings beyond sports channels, highlighting the growing interest in diversifying entertainment options.

Read More
Business Economy Society Software

Azentio Software wins three honours at IBS intelligence (IBSi) Digital Banking Awards 2024

post-image

Azentio Software (“Azentio”) (www.Azentio.com), a Singapore-headquartered technology firm owned by funds advised by Apax Partners, announced today that it has won three awards with its respective clients, at the IBSi Digital Banking Awards 2024 ceremony, held as a part of the prestigious Cedar-IBSi Digital Banking & AI Summit, on April 19 in Bengaluru, India. The company was declared Segment Winners I SME/Corporate Banking, Regional Winners I Middle East & Africa, and Segment Winners I Compliance Management.

 

Organised by IBS intelligence (IBSi), one of the world’s leading financial technology research, advisory, and news analysis firm firms, the annual award program honours technology players, Banking as a Service (BaaS) providers, digital banks, neo banks, and challenger banks for their excellence in driving impact through technology implementations and innovations using emerging technologies.

The Azentio Accolades

  • Digital Badge of Segment Winners I SME/Corporate Banking
  • Digital Badge of Regional Winners I…
Read More
Announcements Business Economy

Ethnos Hosts FinTech Association of Nigeria for Collaborative Discussions on Cybersecurity

post-image

 

Ethnos, a leading cybersecurity firm based in Lagos, recently welcomed the esteemed members of the FinTech Association of Nigeria to their premises for a collaborative meeting aimed at enhancing cybersecurity measures within the financial technology sector.

The event provided an invaluable platform for industry stakeholders to engage in insightful discussions on the evolving landscape of cybersecurity in Nigeria’s burgeoning fintech industry. Led by Peter Ejiofor, the CEO of Ethnos, the gathering underscored the importance of fostering strong partnerships to fortify cybersecurity frameworks and mitigate emerging threats.

Expressing gratitude to the FinTech Association of Nigeria for their visit, Peter Ejiofor remarked, “Thank you to the FinTech Association of Nigeria for stopping by at our office. It was a pleasure hosting such esteemed professionals, and we are committed to fostering positive progress and achievements in our collaborative efforts moving forward.”

The meeting exemplified Ethnos’ dedication to promoting cybersecurity excellence and its commitment to supporting…

Read More
Business Economy Technology Technology Trends Telecoms

Africa Data Centres debuts ADC Channel programme

post-image

The primary goal of ADC Channel is to foster collaboration among partners within the ISP, Carrier, Telecommunications, Systems Integration, ICT and Data Centre providers; Channel Partners will have additional product offerings to add to their current portfolio and in turn generate new revenue streams; The programme offers partners easy access to data centre experts and will provide ongoing commercial and technical support.

Africa Data Centres, a division of the Cassava Technologies group, is excited to announce the launch of its exclusive channel partner programme, ADC Channel. This programme is designed to establish colocation and ecosystem partnerships, empowering members to expand their product portfolio & offerings alongside their market presence including an expanded data centre footprint.

ADC Channel presents a unique opportunity for global carriers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), system integrators, Data Centres, Mobile Network, Content Developer, telecommunications companies, network infrastructure operators, hyperscalers and others to deliver state-of-the-art, sustainable and cost-effective digital solutions to…

Read More
Business

Chinenye Anuforo Honored with MTN Nigeria Foundation Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Reportage

post-image

 

Chinenye Anuforo, a distinguished journalist with The Sun Newspapers, has been recognized with the prestigious MTN Nigeria Foundation Chairman’s Award for Innovative Reportage. The award ceremony took place during the School of Media and Communication’s (SMC) graduation ceremony for the MTN Media Innovation Program (MIP-2).

Presented by Mrs. Odunayo Sanya, the Executive Director and Board Member of MTN Foundation, along with a cash prize, the award acknowledges Chinenye’s exceptional report on the MTN Foundation Y’ellopreneur initiative. This initiative focuses on empowering women entrepreneurs by providing essential tools such as training, funding, and mentorship.No alt text provided for this image

Chinenye’s report highlighted the significant impact of the Y’ellopreneur initiative on women’s entrepreneurial aspirations in Nigeria. Her insightful exploration of the program’s contributions earned her this esteemed recognition.

Expressing her gratitude, Chinenye Anuforo stated, “I am pleased to receive the MTN Foundation Chairman’s…

Read More
Business Economy Environment Society Tourism Travels

Transcorp Hotel Expands to Lagos with Ambitious Project

post-image

 

Transcorp Hotels Plc, under the leadership of Tony Elumelu, is set to establish its presence in Lagos with the construction of the Transcorp Hotel Ikoyi Lagos. The upcoming 20-story property, slated for completion in 2027, aims to offer 315 rooms, positioning itself as a formidable competitor to industry giants like Marriott and Sheraton.

The project, which faced delays in its development, has now resumed construction after overcoming various challenges. With 90% of the company’s current revenue stemming from its Abuja property, known as Transcorp Abuja, the Lagos venture marks a strategic move to diversify earnings and expand its footprint in the hospitality sector.

Dupe Olusola, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Hotels Plc, emphasized the significance of the Lagos expansion, highlighting its potential to drive revenue growth and enhance the firm’s position in the hospitality market. Financing options, including equity…

Read More
Business Economy Events Technology Technology Trends

Hanson Johnson of Start Innovation Hub Propels Akwa Ibom’s Transformation into an ICT Hub

post-image

 

In a pivotal move aimed at reshaping the economic landscape of Akwa Ibom State, Hanson Johnson, the Founder/CEO of Start Innovation Hub and a prominent figure in the digital ecosystem, has unveiled plans for the Akwa Ibom Tech Week. This initiative marks a significant step towards transitioning the state from its reliance on oil and agriculture to becoming a thriving center for Information and Communication Technology (ICT).No alt text provided for this image

During a recent address, Johnson articulated his vision for the region, stating, “There’s been extensive deliberation within closed circles regarding our shared ambition to transform Africa into a hub for living, working, and creating opportunities, starting right here in Akwa Ibom State 😜. Out of these discussions emerged Akwa Ibom Tech Week and numerous other initiatives, including the Ibom Innovation Network, designed to foster collaboration among innovators.”

Expressing his…

Read More